Kings Stars Sound Off After First Day of NBA Training Camp

Sacramento Kings stars Domantas Sabonis and De'Aaron Fox spoke to the press after a successful first day of official practice.

Jan 14, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Sacramento Kings guard De'Aaron Fox (5) and center Domantas Sabonis (10) talk during a timeout in the third quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum. / Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

The Sacramento Kings are finally back at team facilities as the NBA season is just around the corner. October 1st marked the return to the practice court for Mike Brown's crew led by star duo De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis.

Sacramento fell out of playoff contention last year after a heartbreaking loss in the Play-In Tournament, but the team is back for vengeance with a few new names lining the roster. 15-year veteran DeMar DeRozan stands out as a new face in the building as his scoring abilities bring a new threat on the offensive end of the court.

Sabonis talked about DeRozan's presence on the team and how he's being fit into the offense (via Sean Cunningham | KTXL):

He's a professional. He wants to come in and fit in right away, he's here to win. He's going to do whatever it takes to make that transition easy.

- Domantas Sabonis, Kings C

Domantas Sabonis chats about the first day of Kings training camp, incorporating DeMar DeRozan into the offense, the challenge of doing so, changes to the offense and the chemistry on the team thus far. pic.twitter.com/EIbClSVTCi

— Sean Cunningham (@SeanCunningham) October 1, 2024

As a six-time NBA All-Star, DeRozan is used to putting in good shifts on the court. Despite his long career, he's only been able to make it past the second round of the playoffs once. With a star studded roster this year, it could be DeRozan's best chance of making a playoff push late in his career.

When you look at the explosiveness of the Kings' roster, speed will be key in winning games this season. Fox spoke about how important pace will be in Sacramento's future success (via Sean Cunningham | KTXL):

I don't go out there and just start running fast. Playing with pace is playing in different gears, being able to slow down, speed up. Obviously, we want to get the ball up the court fast but playing fast and running up and down isn't helping anybody. Playing with pace has meaning to it and we're not just going out there just to run fast.

- De'Aaron Fox, Kings PG

De’Aaron Fox analyzes the first day of Kings training camp, seeing DeMar DeRozan in action and Malik Monk holding the coaching staff accountable for going long pic.twitter.com/W2M8oLsJ9d

— Sean Cunningham (@SeanCunningham) October 1, 2024

Earlier this week, general manager Monte McNair said that he wants to see his group return to the top of the league in terms of pace of play. With guys that can get downhill like Fox and DeRozan, the Kings should be one of the best-conditioned teams in the league.

Practices will continue throughout the month but the Kings will play their first preseason game against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, October 9th next week.

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